LH-GAT-X103 Hail Buster Gundam
The Hail Buster is a variant of GAT-X103 Buster Gundam developed by the mysterious organization known as Librarian Works. First appeared in photo series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED VS Astray, it is piloted by Finis Socius. The 'LH' in the suit's model code stands for 'Librarian Hail'. Technology & Combat Characteristics A strengthened and redesigned version of GAT-X103 Buster Gundam, the 'Hail' in the suit's name refers to hailstones, and represents how it can fire numerous projectiles at its enemy. The Hail Buster Gundam retains the original's combat specialization, but has higher shooting accuracy/precision, new weaponry and added stealth capabilities. New composite sensors are added to the chest's left and right side, as well as to either sides of the suit's cheeks. The silhouette of enemy units captured by these sensors could be instantaneously matched against the Librarian Works' data bank for greatly enhanced shooting accuracy/precision in close and ranged combat. The data processing computer in the head was also improved, and on paper, it grants the suit a 30% increase in shooting accuracy/precision. The knee armor was also changed, and can now function as a landing unit, providing the suit with a more stable firing position. Weapon wise, the biggest changes to the Hail Buster is the use of the Striker Pack system and the mounting of the Gun Launcher and High-energy Rifle on the Buster Striker. As a result, Hail Buster gains the ability to change its weapon to better fit the combat situation. The Buster Striker also contains ammunitions for the Gun Launcher, and power pack for the High-energy Rifle's beam attacks in the central portion, thus the usage of the two weapons do not drain the Hail Buster's battery at all. Previously, the Earth Alliance also had the idea of creating a striker pack with the two weapons, but failed due to technical problems. A new weapon in the form of a pair of anti-ship vulcan guns were also added to the shoulder-mounted missile pods' covers. They enhanced the suit's ability to deal with incoming enemy units. The last improvement to the suit is the integration of the Mirage Colloid stealth system. This allows it to sneak up on enemies and collect their data before destroying them in a single devastating sniper attack. Armaments ;*Missile Pod :Two 220mm 6-tube missile pods are mounted in the shoulders, allowing the suit to fire a rain of missiles upon enemies or to stop them from moving closer. Various types of missiles can be loaded to meet different needs. ;*120mm 3-barrel Anti-ship Vulcan Gun :A pair of rapid fire guns mounted in the missile pod covers, and as such, the covers have to be flipped up when using the weapon. Despite being classified as anti-ship weapons, they can also be used to destroy enemy units, particularly those in close range. The weapon's ammunition casing have been enhanced to prevent accidental detonation. ;*Gun launcher & High-energy rifle :Mounted on the Buster Striker and hand-carried when in use. They are identical to those on the Buster Gundam, although their position have been switched, with the Gun Launcher now on the left and the High-energy rifle on the right. It is possible for them to be combined to form either the Anti-Armor Shotgun or the Hyper Impulse Long-Range Sniper Rifle. Special Equipment & Features ;*Mirage Colloid Stealth System ;*Hardpoints for Striker Packs History Deployed alongside MBF-05LM Gundam Astray Mirage Frame during Librarian's attack on Ame-no-Mihashira, its attack was blocked by MBF-P01-Re2AMATU Gundam Astray Gold Frame Amatsu Mina.Seed Vs Astray Chapter 2 It also assisted MBF-05LM Gundam Astray Mirage Frame in its fight against MBF-P03R Gundam Astray Blue Frame 2nd Revise and help it to escape after it lost.Seed Vs Astray Chapter 3Seed Vs Astray Chapter 4 Later, it was deployed by Librarian Works in an attack against a space colony.Seed Vs Astray Chapter 8 After the collapse of Librarian Works, the whereabouts of this MS is unknown. Gallery File:Lh-gat-x103-2.jpg|First publish art Gunpla 1-100 Hail Buster Gundam.jpg|1/100 LH-GAT-X103 Hail Buster Gundam (2009): box art Notes & Trivia * The first published art of the Hail Buster had a yellow on blue color scheme similar to GAT-X131 Calamity Gundam. When its profile was released though, the colors scheme has been switched to red on black paint scheme similar to that of the GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam. References External links *Hail Buster Details from Official SEED vs Astray site *Hail Buster Gundam on MAHQ